Little.
Livejournal Feed
I wrote the ending of Faradris last night, 1,494 words from the villain’s point-of-view. I’m reasonably happy with it, and it gave me some ideas to shoot for. The real ending may turn out completely differently, and I kind of hope so, but this gave me a chance to see some weaknesses in my plan and to see some things to focus on while I work on the rough draft. Now I’ve just got to do some quick setting profiles and/or maps and I’m all set.
It’s harder in Fantasy than in any other genre, I think, to avoid the feeling of deus ex machina in the ending. I mean, the magic has to happen, you know? And I don’t really believe characters should be totally self-reliant, proving their mettle by how much butt they can kick. I find that sort of autonomy unrealistic and not very admirable. Fantasy is a metaphor for real life, and at least in my experience, in real life we do often have to rely on others, and that often takes more inner strength than trying to do things in our own power. It’s human nature: we want the credit, we want to prove we can do it, that we didn’t need anyone else. Even more difficult is being totally reliant on God. . . . Nobody wants to do that. I think characters who keep trudging on when hope is lost, relying on others and on a Power ouside their own, expresses a far deeper truth than, “Believe in yourself! You can do it!”
The difficulty is bringing those other, often magical elements into the story’s climax without giving the impression of a God-In-a-Box. I’m not sure I’m able to do that adequately.
On a related note, I’ve been struggling with this question: In a Fantasy story, what is the difference between magic and miracles? Does magic in a tale preclude the co-existence of the miraculous?
The same goes for people in real-life. Living in an area where so many people are trying to justify life, the universe and everything while believing in nothing at all, I see so much “The power is inside me!” type thought just walking two blocks downtown.
Fantastic to hear you’ve written an ending to Faradris! I’m very excited for you. :D
I think miracles and magic can co-exist, although I admit I wouldn’t have too many of the former mixed in with the latter. According to my desktop dictionary thing, a miracle is defined as:
I would say that something unexplainable by natural, scientific or magical laws would qualify as a miracle, so I wouldn’t say one precludes the other, no.
Just my thoughts.
So one would have to have all their magical laws laid out rather precisely, wouldn’t they? Interesting.
I have done a fair bit of work on my magic system, but pinning down “what can’t magic do?” has been a tough one for me. I think as I write in that setting it’ll come clear.
Yes, you would definitely have to lay things out beforehand, but I don’t see that doing any harm regardless.
I guess I envision something like this (oy, with the gruesome OSC examples that come to mind, already) — magic user performs spell that requires her life in exchange, knowing the cost. User, in a highly dramatic scene, does her business but is not quite killed; her life is spared, miraculously. “There is a Deeper Magic…” etc.
Well, you see “Deep Magic” in Narnia, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, I believe (though I can’t think of a specific example in the latter at the mo.) I don’t think you could just say, “Wow! She lived anyway!” You’d have to foreshadow, and set up some means by which it seems plausible (ie, in our world, the existence of a transcendent God who can involve Himself in the affairs of humans).
Right, exactly. To have her just live anyway, gadzooks, smacks of a Twilight Zone (or badly-written) ending. Anything like this should be foreshadowed, set up well and handled delicately.